Celebrating A Successfully Completed Virtual Parenting Journey Course

We recently celebrated the graduation of our latest Parenting Journey cohort! This Parenting Journey class meet entirely online, primarily over Zoom, for 12 weeks. The 10 participants did a great job bearing with the challenges that come with online learning, and we’re very proud of them for sticking with it and successfully graduating! 

The cohort takes a group “photo” with Maggie and Jessica, our Family Support & Stabilization staff who facilitated the course.

Despite the physical distance, this cohort actively engaged in our sessions, and often mentioned how they looked forward to every Thursday when we would hold class. Many of the participants shared how useful the positive parenting techniques they learned were, recounting how they used those techniques each week. 

Throughout the series, the parents supported and encouraged each other through every challenge and celebrated each other's successes. Many of the participants forged bonds with each other, and the group came to view each other as family. We know this because they referred to each other as family many times in our sessions!   

While each parent in the Parenting Journey program clearly strengthened their ability to be the best parents they can be, one mother’s story stood out in particular. At the beginning of the series, this mother, who we’ll call Libby, shared she was going through a lot: DCF currently had custody of her kids, and she didn’t think she had the strength to fully connect with the group. Libby shared that she struggled with depression, and she had recently attempted suicide.  

But Libby didn’t stop coming to Parenting Journey. As the weeks went on, she began to open up to the group. Libby later reported, “This group has helped me find hope... With all of the support you have given me, I am doing my best to be the best parent I can be.” Over the course of 12 weeks, Libby had come to see her fellow students as her family. And during our graduation ceremony, Libby happily shared that she was granted custody of her children. 

Congratulations to our amazing Parenting Journey students! We’re honored to partner with The Children’s Trust to provide Parenting Journey courses to parents in the Greater Boston area.